Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-03-26
UNCONSCIOUS EGOTISM.
THE ART OF PoL,TENess-WAAT IT IS.
A Brief story I'm Good Manners; With
Reflection Valuable to all Glasses.

conversation. We look back OCCASION
ally on the days Of Pcricles. when the
Athenians talked in high. sounding
phrases and Saluted each other with the
Difference which subjects only give to
kings, or on the days of the ancient
regime, when the courtiers of a Louis
were conspicuous for a conventional
po~liteness and grace that scarcely
served to conceal the hatred. the venom,
the meanness and vulgarity that lay
beneath. And. therefore, associating
politeness either with Il state Of society
where there is but little freedom of
thought, speech or action, and where
the social fabric is built up Of classes
who are divided by laws of caste, or
else with sleepy oriental countries
where men lead the life Of lotus-eaters,
and rust away in idleness. the study of
manners engages but little Of our
thoughts. We tacitly admit, Of course,
that the exercise Of such an attribute
is all right; but our great weakness is
to look to results instead Of to details,
and we are too apt to forget that those
results are brought about by the very
means which we make light Of. 1t
must be admitted, however. that we
admire politcness in others. AS a
people, beneath the rough exterior
which we SO often assume, we have a
sympathetic and a kindly nature; we
are alive to a tale of distress and are
ready to respond to the cry Of suffer
ing; but WE are too careless OF the little
rourtesies which add such Il charm to
either social or business intercourse.
POliteness may be styled one of the
delicate humInities; it sweetens exis-
tence; and besides being A high social
virtue it is-and this is something
worthy Of attention IN such q practical
age really useful in many ways,
and proves itself to be "a safe and re-
muneratiye. business investment.
1t is hardly possible to estimate the
amount of unconscious egotism to he
found in every man and woman. 1t
crops out i'll the most in the most I'M
expected quarters, and exercises a large
influence on the common affairs Of life.
Civility, therefore, affects US more than
native modcsty would probably car to
acknowledge. Welook for it in others,
no matter what may be the particular
relation which they sustain to us and
we TO them. and we feel disappointed
and are RULED by its absence. The
larger the city and the more crowded
the community the less do We find COM
mercial p~oiiteness: it seems to dwindie
away in an inverse ratio to the square
Of business. Men will tell Won. if they
we stop to discuss the matter, that
they have no time to beStow on hollow
phrases ana superiiuouS conventions
alities, and that there is no place in
the counting room, the store, the ware
house, or the factory for the meaning
less and s~tearo.yptd gen%uiiections Of
siiN So'I Va "iN'A'lS i'''h hiuy
be true. but there is ample room and
verge enough for the happy medium
Of which Horace sings without trans
forming ourselves into Doors or Turvey-
drops. We smile when witnessing
"Pinafore"a al the absurd suggestion of
Sir Joseph Porter that the caotain of
that ship will sGy"if you please"t to his
men when giving any command. And
yet, after All, there is a sound principle
underlying this piece Of blrlcSque. The
man who is kind and graciou, To those
who for the time being are under him
will certainly have his reward. Every
reader of Dickens can remember the
despairing cry of Joe, the street waif,
in BLEAK House -" He wor real good
to me, he wor." This portion of the
scum Of q seething city, with scarcely q
glimmering instinct or an idea as to
right or wrong. was touched by kind
ness and by ~gentleneFs. He could not
understand it: he did not O mprehend
its significance or meaning; bat it was
something different from what he had
ever met with or known, ana S 0 in his
blind and ignorant cropping he came
upon the truth as to
That best portion Of n good mans lfo,
His title. nameless. aforementioned acts
OF kindness and OF love.
Men will argue sometimes that they
have no time to be polite, forgetting
that it takes the same amount Of time
to be uncivil and d~isaGreeable. There
are more things needed to insure Sue
cess than money, experience and integ-
rity. The amenities which some de-
spise so much are also potent factors;
and even if You can point ont a man
who is rude, and churlish and yet sue
cessful in life that is no argument
against the truth Of the theory; it
simply shows that he has succeeded III
spite of the want Of politeness. If,
therefore. civility be such a large and
potential ingredient Of success, 1t is
strange that it stionld be used so spar
ingly. 1t costs nothing, it required no
room for storage. and can, III fact, be
carried in the vest pocket or put In a
glove box, and the more of it that Is